Drum



H. A. BOWER DRUM 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Oct. 24, 1927 July 23, 1929.

H. A. BOWER 1,722,032

DRUM

Filed Oct. 24, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 if, Q

Y W I 1 7 7 Patented J uly 23, 1929.

UNITED STATES HARRY A. BOWER, OF HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA.

DRUM.

Application filed October 24, 1927. Serial No. 228,272.

My invention refers to a snare drum and is devoted particularly to thesnare construction and means for manipulating same.

An object of my invention is the construction of snares for a drum, inwhich the snares are provided with a plurality of individual snareelements preferably in the form of tightly coiled wires which may beindividually tensioned or loosened to adapt each snare 1O element toreact to different sound vibrations. In addition to this, my inventionprovides a snare shoe frame, or the like, which may be operated toloosen or tighten the individual snare elements collectively.

A further object of my invention is the mounting of the snare shoe frameon the snare head of the drum, this mounting being adapted to increaseor decrease the tension with which the shoe is held to the snare head iof the drum. This arrangement may be considered as having a manifoldeffect on the operation of the snares, considered as a whole, in theaction of drumming.

Another object of my invention is the construction of snares and theirmounting on a drum so that these may be quickly shifted to eliminate thesnare effect, and causes the drum to sound as an ordinary muflled drum.In connection with this change I use a foot operative device to bringthe snares into contact with the snare head of the drum or quicklyremove it therefrom, this being of particular use in giving syncopatedeffects when drumming.

5 My invention will be more readily understood from the followingdescription and drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a face view of the under side of the drum showing my snareattached thereto.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the drum showing the snare head with thesnares attached thereto. V

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the drum inverted, with the snares shiftedto their inoperative position.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the drum with the batter head up andillustrating my foot attachment to actuate the snares.

Fig. 5 is a detail plan view showing the clip device for tightening thesprings, holding the snare shoe on the snare head of the drum.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the construction of Fig. 5 taken in thedirection of the arrow 6.

Fig. 7 is a detail elevation taken in the direction of the arrow 7 ofFig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a sectional View as if taken on the line 88 of Fig. 1 showingthe manner of tightening the individual snare elements.

The drum, designated generally by the numeral 11, has a batter head 12anda snare head 13., These are illustrated as having hoops 14. on whichthe skin of the heads is attached. The hoops have eyes 15 which aredrawn together by turn-buckles 16 and bolts 17, the skins being drawntight over a construction on the upper and lower ends of the drum wall18.

On opposite sides of the drum wall there is secured a bolt or stud 20and over each of these bolts there is looped a coiled spring 21. Thesesprings extend laterally and down wardly from the studs overlappingpreferably two of theeyes 15. The ends of the springs are each connectedto hooks 22 utilized as hereunder mentioned to hold the snare shoe. Oneach of the springs there is threaded a clip or catch 23, each catchhaving an aperture 24 and having side notches 25. The clip has an end 26extending underneath the springs 21 these then pass through the aperture24 and spread laterally, catching in the notches 25 which are formed ina downwardly bent section 27 of the clip. The clip then has a section 28extending substantially parallel to the wires and an upwardly bent end29 which comes up between the spread wiires and forms a finger grip toactuate the c 1p.

The snare shoe is designated generally by the numeral 30 and has acentral section formed of a pair of sleeves 31 which have a plurality ofperforations 32. These two sleeves are rigidly connected by a bolt 33having spacing sleeves 34 and clamp nuts 35. Slidably mounted in each ofthe sleeves 31 there are end bars 36 and 37. The bar 36' is adjustablein the sleeve 31 by securing pins 38 which extend through theperforations 32. The bars 36 and 37 preferably have a section 39 inalignment with the sleeves 31, and outwardly therefrom are spreadingsections 40, joined by a cross end 41, the cross end having a series ofperforations 12. l

The bar 37 has a cross plate 43 mounted thereon, such plate being heldin position by means of pins 44. An adjusting bolt 45 has an eye 46through which the bolt 33 passes, the free end 47 passing through theplate 43; there being a nut 48 on the bolt 45 having a knurled havingthe free ends bent downwardly through the apertures 42 as indicated at56.

By this arrangement I may,if desired, employ V coiled springs ofdifferent weight material and having different tightnesses of coil; andin addition I may stretch or elongate each of the springs to a greateror lesser extent. The passage of the ends of the springs through theapertures 42 holds them in position. This gives a species ofseparateadjustment to the snare elements.

Connected to one of the cross ends 41 I utilize a U-shaped bar 60 whichhas its free ends 61 passing through holes in the cross end 41 and beingclamped tight thereto by nuts 62.

- The end is bent downwardly as indicated at 63. Pivotally connected tothe cross piece 64 of the U-shaped bar there is a latch eye 65. i

This has side pieces 66 through which the cross piece 64 passes, theseside elements being 7 spaced by a sleeve 67 The end 68 catches in alatch hereunder set forth. A pair of apertures 69 are formed in the sideelement 66 and through these there is passed a coiled spring 7 0 whichis drawn up and wound around the sections 40 of the side bar 36, theends of this spring being caught in perforations 71. This gives atension, drawing the latch eye towards the wall 18 of the drum.

Ala-tch has a base 76 secured to the wall 18 of the drum, a reverse bend77 and an upwardly extending part 78; this latter having a forwardlybent hook end 79. There is a spring member 80 secured to thepart 7 8,this having an inwardly bent end 81. The end 81 andthe end 79 catch andhold the cross piece 68 of the latch eye 65, as clearly shown in Fig. 3,when it is desired to hold this above the snare end of the drum;

- In order to give certain syncopated effects,

. such as used in jazz music, I attach a strap of the latch eye. A footpedal 87 is attached 7 to the other end of the strap and has a pludrunnthe eye 65 preferably occupies a po'sirality'of adjustable pegs 88 whichengage the fioor,'preventing slipping of the foot pedal and holding itin the desired pos tion.

. In playing the drum as an ordinary snare tion shown in Fi g. 2, butthe drum is reversed. The spr1ngs'21 hold the snare shoe frame snuglyagainst the snare head of the drum and the spring 70 retains the latcheye 65 in engagement with the latch 75. As above mentioned, theindividual snare wires 55 may be individually adjusted and they may beprovided with the proper tension to cause the individual wires torespond to their harmonic vibrations communicated by playing on the drumhead.

In addition to this, the snare shoe frame may be elongated or shortenedby sliding the end bars 36 and 37 in the sleeves 31, and thuscollectively varying the tension of the individual snare wires whichwill manifestly produce different effects in the playing of the drumand, as above noted, these changes may be readily and quickly made.

My snare shoe as a'whole also has a manifold type of action in that inloud playing of the drum the snare shoe is bodily shifted from the snarehead and returned by the springs 21. 'This gives adifferent type ofaction, as the springs 21 can be adjusted at an suitable tension to ivea relativelslow or quick return of the snare shoe frame to the snarehead of the drum.

If it is desired to give a muliled effect, the

snare shoe may be shifted into the position shown in Fig. 3, the latcheye 65 becoming engaged in the latch 75. If it is desired to givesyncopated or other similar effects, the

.strap may be attached to the eye 65 and the foot pedal manipulated togive alternating muflied and snare effects to the drum, and

.to give these in any desired suitable time.

It will be noted that a characteristic feature of my snares is that thesnare shoe is mounted completely on the snare head of the drum withoutthe snare elements extending beyond the periphery of the head, and it isnot necessary to have the snare shoe or the snare elements attached tothe shell of the drum, as the spring wires 21 hold the shoe complete inthe desired position. It is, therefore,manifest that if desired, thelatch eye 65 and the latch 75 may be dispensed with. together with theUshaped bars 60 and the spring 70 connecting the latch eye to the snareshoe proper. The snare shoe frame is adapted to contact with the head ofthe drum.

Various changes may be made in the prin- .ciples of my invention withoutdeparting from the spirit thereof, as set forth in the description,drawings and claims.

1 I claim: V

1. A drum having a snarehead, a

shoe frame held adjacent said head to contact therewith said frame havina luralit of snare elements thereon, and means to adjust the length ofsaid shoe to increase and decrease the tension of said elementscollectively. r T i 7 2. A drum having a snare head,- a snare shoeframe, means resiliently attaching said frame to the drum wherebytheshoe may contact with the head, snares mounted in said frame, saldreslh'ent mounting allowing'the snare lid snare shoe to separate bodilyfrom the snare head of the drum in playing the drum.

3. A drum having a snare head, a snare shoe frame mounted thereon toengage therewith, a plurality of snare elements mounted in said frame,each of the elements being separately adjustable as to tension, andmeans to lengthen or shorten the said frame to collectively increase ordecrease the tension of the snare elements.

4. A drum, as claimed in claim 3, the mounting of the shoe frame on thedrum comprising springs attached to opposite sides of the drum andextending over the snare head of the drum, and means to adjust thetension of said latter springs to change the action of the snare shoeframe as a whole.

5. In the art described, a snare shoe frame having a sleeve, slidablebars connected to the sleeve, each of the bars having a cross end, and aplurality of snare elements adjust-ably secured to said cross ends,allowing separate adjustment of each of said elements as to tension.

6. A drum, as claimed in claim 5, means forming an adjustable connectionfor at least one of said bars to the sleeve to extend or decrease thedistance apart of the cross ends of the said bars to collectively varythe tension of the snare elements, hooks attached to the said sleeve,springs adjustably connected. to the hooks, said springs being adaptedfor attachment to the sides of the drum holding the snare shoe frameconnected against the snare head of the drum with varying degrees oftension.

7. In the art described, a snare shoe frame having a plurality ofsleeves spaced parallel to each other, a pair of U-shaped cross barshaving their ends slidable in the sleeves from opposite directions, eachbar having a cross end, and a plurality of snare elements adjustablyconnected to the said cross ends.

8. A drum, as claimed in claim 7. a cross bolt connecting the sleeves, across plate having an engaging connection with one of the said bars, alongitudinal bolt engaging the cross bolt and passing through the platewith nuts thereon to adjust the position of the plate relative to thecross bolt and thereby vary the distance apart of the said cross ends,and hence vary collectively the tension of the snare elements.

9. A drum, as claimed in claim 7 a hook secured to each of the sleeves,a looped spring attached to each hook and means adapted to connect thefree ends of each spring to the wall of a drum, a clip having anaperture through which the two strands of the loop of each springpasses, each clip having a notch to engage the springs, the clips beingslidable on the springs to vary the tension and adapted to hold thesnare shoe against the snare head of the drum with varying degrees oftension.

10. A drum, as claimed in claim 7, a latch eye pivotally connected toone of the cross ends, and a latch adapted to be secured to the side .ofa drum, said latch engaging the latch. eye and holding one end of theshoe frame away from the snare head of a drum.

11. In the art described, a snare shoe frame having a plurality ofparallel sleeves spaced apart, U-shaped bars slidably connected to thesleeves, each bar having a cross end, snare elements between said crossends, a foot pedal, and a strap and connecting means connecting the footpedal to the cross end of one of the said bars.

12. In the art described, as claimed in claim 11, the means connectingthe strap and the cross end comprising a latch eye, means pivotallyconnecting said latch eye to one of the said cross ends, the said strapbeing detachable from the eye, and a latch adapted to be attached to theside of a drum to hold one end of. the shoe frame away from the snarehead of the drum.

13. In the art described, as claimed in claim 11, the snare elementsbeing individually adjustable between the said cross ends, and means toslide at least one of the bars longitudinally of the said sleeves tovary collectively the tension of the snare elements.

14. In the art described, as claimed in claim 11, the snare elementsbeing individually adj ustable between the said cross ends, means toslide at least one of the bars longitudinally of the said sleeves tovary collectively the tension of the snare elements, looped springshaving tensioning clips attached thereto, and means to attach saidsprings to the said sleeve, and means adapted to attach said loopedsprings to the wall of a drum.

15. In the art described, as claimed in claim 11, a latch eye, meanspivotally connecting said eye to one of the said bars, a latch adaptedfor attachment to the side of a drum, and a spring interengaging thelatch eye and one of the said bars, bringing said latclh eye intoengagement with the said late 1.

16. The combination of a drum having a snare head, a longitudinallyadjustable snare shoe frame having a plurality of snare elementsthereon, means to individually adjust the snare elements, means tocollectively adjust said elements by adjusting the length of the shoe,and means to attach the shoe to the drum, said means retaining the shoecompletely within the periphery of the snare head and on the outsidethereof.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

HARRY A. BOWER.

